Little by Little, pt II
by Primavera Rathbone
Summary: Continuation of my LOTS series, preceded by Kind of Woman, still using Alice Cooper songs for titles.Darken Rahl and Ember, after some trying events, finally decide to get into a relationship. WARNING: chap. 7, Dangerous Tonight, is...extremely graphic.
1. Poison

_**Poison**_

All I had to do was move my bishop a few spaces, and I would have had Darken Rahl in checkmate. I saw the chance clear as day, but I couldn't make the play. I didn't intend on letting him _win_; he had beaten me mercilessly for three games before this one. I had to make a comeback…but I didn't want to lean forward in my chair to move the game-piece; my back was incredibly sore, and had been for nearly a week.

"It's _your_ play, you know," Darken reminded me, regarding my immobile frame quizzically.

"Mm-hm," I responded distantly.

He rested his chin on his fist. "You _do_ realize you can put me in checkmate?"

I nodded.

He arched a near-black eyebrow. "Then why don't you?"

Wincing, I leaned forward and moved the bishop, then stretched my back and flopped backward. "Checkmate."

"Is your back bothering you?"

Glancing at him out of the corner of my eye, I smirked. "What was your first hint?"

"You're not doing a very good job of hiding it, Ember," he replied, starting to line the black chess pieces up on his side of the board. "You're no master of deception," he added, smiling.

"I suppose you're right," I muttered, directing my gaze toward the window behind him.

_Zedd would beg to differ._

I sighed.

_Whose side _am_ I on, anyway?_

Truly, _I_ didn't even know anymore.

"Ember?"

I inhaled sharply and looked back at him, with a dazed expression on my face. "Yes?"

"How long has your back been bothering you?"

"About a week." I wrinkled my forehead. "Why?"

"Just wondering," he answered, shrugging. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"I didn't think it was that important."

He scoffed. "You know, sleeping out in that cave isn't helping."

He had a point; everyone knows sleeping on the ground, especially the floor of a cave, is bad for the back.

I cocked my head. "Well…what do you propose I do about it, Lord Rahl?"

I _still_ had a hard time calling him Darken.

"_Darken_," he corrected, smiling. He stared at the black queen for a while, turning it idly in his fingers. After this period of contemplation, he suggested, "Sleep with me."

My eyes widened, and my mouth gaped slightly.

_Did he just say what I think he just said?_

I blinked a few times, trying to regain composure. Finally, I was able to speak. "I'm sorry…did you just say for me to sleep with you?"

Apparently just figuring out how it sounded, Darken's eyes grew wide. Hastily, he clarified, "I didn't mean _sleep_ with me! I just meant…you know…" he looked down, then back up. Furrowing his brow, he mumbled, "My…no matter how I try to rephrase that, it still sounds just as suggestive."

I giggled. "I know what you meant. But I think I'll just stick with the cave."

"Why? It's _hell_ on your back, and we both know it. Besides," he added, the corner of his mouth twitching deviously, "I know a spell that could make you feel better."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh really? Like what?"

"It's a rather well-known remedy; it's called a massage."

Feeling myself start to blush, I glared at him.

He crossed his arms. "Oh, come on, Ember! I won't _try anything_. I only want to help you feel better. You've done more than your fair share of helping the D'Haran army…_and_ me; the least I can do is make your back a little less sore."

Call me crazy, but I believed him. I didn't know why. Maybe it was those beautiful blue eyes…that satanic charm that I was incapable of resisting.

"Well? Have you decided?"

I exhaled slowly, then nodded.

"Yes; I'm game, but _just_ for tonight."

_Oh boy…this should prove to be an _interesting_ evening._

* * *

So, there I was: lying on my stomach, topless, in Darken Rahl's bed. (The reason for the topless bit is that it's kind of difficult to give a massage through a leather bodice…and I had neglected to wear a chemise under it that day.) My heart fluttered as Darken (who was also topless, by the way) straddled me and gently brushed my burgundy hair to one side of my neck. As he placed his hands on my shoulders and positioned his thumbs between my shoulderblades, my muscles involuntarily tensed up.

"Relax, Ember," he reassured, sensing my apprehension. "You know I won't hurt you, right?"

I smiled and tried to loosen my tension. "Yes, Darken, I know; I trust you."

It's not you hurting me that I'm worried about. However misplaced it may be, I trust you; but I don't trust myself.

I had good reason not to trust myself. I've always been strongly driven by my emotions, and at that moment there was nothing I wanted to do more than turn around and kiss him. But, on a more practical note, I _really_ needed that massage. Trying to ignore my rash impulses, I gazed blankly at the roaring fire.

It was near impossible to ignore those impulses, given the fact that his hands were practically molesting my back. Slowly, he methodically worked out every last knot and kink in my neck, shoulders, and back. Sighing quietly, I finally relaxed and closed my eyes. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

* * *

"Ember?"

"…Darken?" I replied, begrudgingly opening my eyes. I couldn't have been asleep for more than five minutes.

He chuckled, climbing off me and off his bed and making his way over to his wardrobe. "Glad to see you're comfortable enough to sleep," he said, opening one of its doors. Producing a black chemise top, he tossed it to me and added, "But you might want to put this on, just to avoid rolling over and showing me something you'd rather not."

"Thank you," I answered, sitting up and putting on the shirt after he had turned his back. Yawning, I laid back down. Not long after, Darken crawled in bed beside me.

"Get some sleep," he whispered, touching my back delicately before rolling onto his side.

I closed my eyes tiredly.

_I _have_ to go back to the cave tomorrow night. As much as I enjoy this, the temptation is just too great._

THE END.


	2. I Never Cry

_**I Never Cry**_

Darken Rahl's cornflower eyes opened weakly to see the moonlight-bathed ceiling of his bedchamber. He blinked a few times, then inhaled deeply. In protest, he rolled onto his side and shut his eyes tight. Realizing it was all in vain, he made a sound of disgust and sat on the edge of his bed.

He couldn't sleep to save his soul. It wasn't because he was dreaming about Ember; the dreams had more or less subsided for a while now. It wasn't for lack of exhaustion; they had played chess until about midnight the night prior, not to mention how long it took to work out the dozens of damn knots in Ember's back. It wasn't even because he was worrying about the Seeker; he hadn't even _thought_ about the Seeker for a good couple of weeks. Groaning, he stood and walked over to his window.

He had never noticed it before, but he could clearly see Ember's cave from this vantage point. Evidently, she couldn't sleep either; with a blinding flash of Wizard's Fire, she had lit a bonfire and appeared to be reading by it. She was curled up against the wall in her usual sleepwear (an ankle-length white chemise) with her hair loosely tied back. Whatever she was reading, she seemed very involved in it; therefore, he turned away from the window and approached his bookshelves. Removing a random book, he sat in a nearby chair, lit a candle, and began to read.

It turned out to be a collection of poems that Airmid Foxglove had given to him when he was no more than fourteen. She had told him that she had two copies bound: one for him, and one for her daughter…Ember. She warned him that he may not be able to relate to the themes at that point in time, but eventually he would: betrayal, fury, bloodlust, malevolence, death, loneliness, depression, mystery, intrigue, unobtainable love. He now understood most of them all too well, but the last one he was getting a powerfully bittersweet introduction to.

_Ember_.

Sighing, he tossed the book aside, left his seat, and fell onto his bed. Her scent still clung hauntingly to his pillow; that sweet, delicate fragrance of strawberries and vanilla that was her perfume. He inhaled deeply and, just for a moment, he felt her sleeping form alongside his. It was almost as if he could reach over and lightly stroke her wine-colored hair. For that one fleeting instant, his heart and mind were at peace; then he remembered that she wasn't really there. His heart sinking, he sat on the edge of his bed once more.

He wanted nothing more than to let her know how he felt about her. If it wasn't for the fact that he thought she still viewed it as sheer lust on his behalf, he would have already told her. Of course, he believed her to have better judgment than _that_; the incident in the tower should have been evidence enough that he cared. He had hoped that simply holding her and (quite literally) giving her a shoulder to cry on would speak volumes in his favor. Yet, part of him _still_ feared she hadn't noticed. After the passage of a couple of minutes, he approached his window once more.

Ember had apparently grown tired of reading; she had cast her book aside and was now idly toying with a lavender crystal, which was about the size of an apricot. Gradually, it began to glow. She passed her hand over it, and it projected an image of the night sky that filled her entire cave. Captivated, Darken watched as she brought forth breathtaking visions of swirling galaxies, distant planets, shimmering stars, vibrant nebulas, and racing comets. With a satisfied smile and a quick wave of her hand, she made the illusions vanish back into the stone.

Darken felt a lone, renegade teardrop escape the corner of his eye. Trying to deny its existence, he cleared his throat as it trickled down to his cheekbone, where it opted to remain. A tremor shook his entire frame; and, at that moment, Ember directed her gaze toward his window. Upon seeing him, she smiled gently and mouthed, "Get some sleep, Darken."

Despite his tear, he chuckled and mouthed back, "Look who's talking."

She giggled and shrugged, then turned away and went to lie back down. Smirking, Darken Rahl did the same.

As he buried his face in his pillow, he sighed and whispered, "Oh, Ember…if only there was _some way_ I could prove to you that I genuinely care."

He closed his eyes, and fell into a turbulent sleep.

THE END.


	3. Go to Hell

_**Go to Hell**_

I soon discovered something to hate about life in D'Hara: the Mord-Sith. To be more specific, a certain Mord-Sith by the name of Denna. I was just walking down a hallway in the People's Palace, minding my own business, when someone attacked me from behind. I felt her hand closing around my throat, and something sending unbearable pain to my right temple. After a few agonizing moments, everything went black.

* * *

"A sorceress, Mistress Denna?"

"Indeed, Triana," Denna's voice responded. "I found her on my way back."

"Do you suppose she's a spy?" Triana inquired. "I've never seen her before."

"I'm no spy," I managed, opening my eyes and lifting my head weakly. They had me kneeling on a cold stone floor, my wrists chained to the wall, stripped down to only my bodice and my half-slip. They had torn the latter to half its prior length, most likely to make me more miserable in the damp chamber.

The Mord-Sith who I assumed to be Denna scoffed doubtfully, examining a red leather rod in her hands.

I gulped.

An agiel: the Mord-Sith's weapon of choice. The agiel has the ability to cause unspeakable pain with the slightest touch; its power comes from the magical ability in the blood of the reigning Lord Rahl. As long as there is a male Rahl with magical powers alive, the agiel posses its abilities. In addition, the Mord-Sith can turn any spell cast by a wizard or sorceress against them, so my magic was pretty much useless.

_Damn. I'm screwed._

Denna didn't seem impressed. "Oh really? I don't believe you."

"I'm not surprised," I muttered, shrugging slightly.

She glared at me. "You will _not_ talk to me in such a manner," she growled, jabbing me in the chest with her agiel. I screamed in pain, thrashing away from it, only to slam my back into the wall.

Denna smirked, clearly amused at my stupidity. "Attempting to move away from the agiel is pointless; you'll hurt yourself regardless. Now, who are you working for?"

In a moment of sheer idiocy, I said nothing. This time, Triana prodded my thigh with her agiel.

"Are you a spy?" she queried.

"No," I forced.

"Liar!" Denna accused, thrusting her agiel into my side. "Who do you work for?" she persisted, jamming her agiel against my jugular.

After howling in agony, I looked dead into her eyes and rasped, "Darken Rahl."

It outrage, she grasped my hair and twisted it. "You're a damn good liar," she snickered, "you almost had me fooled."

As she jabbed me once more, Triana speculated, "What if she's _not_ lying, Mistress Denna?"

_Thank the Creator _one_ of them somewhat believes me._

Her face contorting in disgust, Denna released my hair, flinging my head backward in the process. "I doubt it, Triana; neither of us have seen her before, after all."

I slumped as far as my restraints allowed me to.

_Dammit. Let the torture re-commence._

* * *

Roughly an hour more of that same crap followed: them asking who I worked for, me saying Darken Rahl, and them beating me senseless with their agiels. After a while, they began to cut and stab me at random with daggers…probably just to see me bleed. I was half-tempted to just tell them "I work for the Seeker; kill me already," when another Mord-Sith entered the chamber. She had a certain evil beauty about her, with her long blonde braid and blue-green eyes. She took one look at me and her mouth gaped. Looking from me, to Triana, to Denna, she crossed her arms and came forward.

"With all due respect, Mistress Denna," she began, clearly trying not yell, "what exactly do you think you're doing?"

"Breaking a spy, Cara," she responded coldly. "What does it look like?"

A little less restrained this time, Cara answered, "It looks like you're torturing Lord Rahl's personal sorceress."

Triana dropped her agiel and took a few steps backward. "That explains everything."

"Nonsense, Triana!" Denna snapped, assaulting me with her agiel once more. I yelped and tried to jerk away, but most of my energy had left me by then.

"Don't you pay _any_ attention to the soldiers' gossip!" Cara yelled, staring pointedly at Denna. "There have been rumors flying around about Lord Rahl having a sorceress around…a _powerful_ sorceress, who many think he's grown rather attached to." She approached me, crouched down in front of me, and gently tilted my face to her. Unnoticed by both Denna and Triana, she gave me a reassuring wink. "They've described her as being roughly five feet and five inches tall, slender, reasonably pretty, with light brown-and-green hazel eyes, and long dark crimson hair." She toyed with a strand of my hair, sweaty and grimy though it was, then let go of it again. Pivoting to face her two Sisters of the Agiel, she finished, "Her name is Ember Sardonyx, daughter of the renowned Edgar Sardonyx and Airmid Foxglove; both of whom served the House of Rahl faithfully for _decades_."

She turned back to me and analyzed my physical appearance silently. My skin was varying shades of red and purple in most places, and I had small wounds in numerous places as well, many of which were still bleeding. I won't lie; I was in absolute agony, and would gladly have welcomed death at any second. Without another word, she rose and exited the chamber.

After a few moments of silence, Triana turned to Denna. "What do we do now?"

_Let me go, preferably._

Denna shook her head.

"I don't believe a word of it," she declared, placing her agiel against my temple.

I screamed with all of my remaining energy, and then blacked out.

* * *

Cara threw open the doors to Darken Rahl's study and barged in. giving a very brief salute, she said, "Forgive the intrusion, Lord Rahl, but there's something you should know _immediately_."

Darken Rahl, still mildly taken aback, could only manage, "Yes, Cara?"

She gulped, then straightened her shoulders.

"My Lord…Mistress Denna has Ember Sardonyx."

* * *

"_DENNA_!"

My eyes still closed, I slowly regained consciousness.

"DENNA, YOU HAD BETTER HAVE A _DAMN_ GOOD EXPLANATION FOR THIS!"

Yep, it was Darken; and boy, did he sound _pissed_. I heard his footsteps entering the chamber, followed by those of Cara.

"In the name of the Creator!" he exclaimed, I can only assume upon seeing me. "Denna, why in the _hell_ did you torture her?"

Quietly, Denna replied, "I thought she was a spy, My Lord."

"A _spy_!" he shrieked.

"With all due respect, My Lord," Triana chimed in, "neither of us had seen her before."

"That's because I told her to steer clear of the Mord-Sith so something like this _wouldn't_ happen! Cut her down," he growled.

No one budged.

"Cut her _down_, _both_ of you, if you wish to _live_!"

I braced myself for impact with the floor, but instead crashed into Darken Rahl's arms.

"Ember?" he whispered, brushing my hair away from my face.

With great effort, I opened my eyes. "Darken?" I tried to say as normally as possible, but this proved difficult thanks to the wounds on my throat.

He smiled at me tenderly. "Let's get you out of here," he said.

Like a fool, I tried to stand; my trembling legs just collapsed under me. Darken caught me and picked me up, carrying my frail form out of the chamber (which actually hut my pride a little bit, but at least I got to give Denna the finger on the way out.)

* * *

Darken set me down carefully on his bed, trying desperately to not aggravate any of my wounds.

"Thank you, Darken," I managed after a while, slightly touching his hand.

"It was nothing, Ember," he replied quietly, delicately dabbing at one of my cuts with a damp cloth. Smirking, he added, "You _do_ realize, of course, that now you have no choice but to sleep here?"

I chuckled weakly. "Sure."

"No, seriously," he justified, "that cave only hinders your back, not to mention I have to keep an eye on you until you heal."

"You don't _have_ to," I argued, looking away.

"True," he conceded; then, ever so lightly, he lips glided against mine.

"I don't _have_ to, but I want to."

I smiled warmly as he got up and went to get more cold water for the cloth. Closing my eyes, I sighed.

_I think he loves me._

THE END.


	4. Give the Kid a Break

_**Give the Kid a Break**_

Typically, it doesn't take long for most people to recover from dagger wounds; clearly, I'm not most people. Five days later, and I was only moderately healed. Also, I was still in Darken Rahl's bed practically all day and night, and not in the manner I would have liked. Anyway, Darken had reluctantly left me alone in order to attend to something or another, and I decided to get some sleep (even though it was midday) simply because I had nothing else to do.

"Ember?"

_Oh please, not now._

"Is he gone?"

_Dammit, Zedd._

"A little acknowledgment down here would be _appreciated_, Ember!"

Groaning, I turned to peer over the side of the bed. There, in the bowl of water for the cloth, was Zedd.

"You look like hell," he muttered.

"Good to see you, too, Zedd," I scoffed. "Now, what do you want? Darken could come back any minute."

"How're you feeling?"

I shrugged. "Like hell."

"Ah," he replied, then looked away.

I arched an eyebrow. "Zedd?"

He swallowed hard. "I…had Kahlan read you while the Mord-Sith had you."

Kahlan, being a Confessor, has the power to tell whether or not a person is lying. And Zedd, being Zedd, _would_ take advantage of seeing me being tortured by Mord-Sith and have Kahlan read me to determine my loyalties.

I sighed turbulently.

"Did you mean it?" Zedd demanded. "Are you truly working for Darken Rahl now?"

"You tell me," I answered plainly. "You _did_ have Kahlan read me, after all."

He debated a few moments.

"Well, Zedd?" I urged.

"She couldn't tell," he murmured. "Either you're one hell of a liar, you're betraying us, or you're playing the role of the double-agent."

"Double-agent," I whispered, smiling. "Am I doing a good job?"

"Obviously," he smirked. "I mean, you _are_ in Lord Rahl's bed right now, after all."

I looked away from him and grew distant.

"I'm sorry about this, Ember."

"Hm?" I responded, still not looking back at him.

"Darken Rahl," Zedd clarified. Gently, he inquired, "You really do love him, don't you?"

I heard Darken's footsteps coming down the hallway. Panicking, I grabbed the cloth off my side and held it over the bowl.

"With all my heart," I breathed, dropping it into the water to end the spell.

_With all my heart._

* * *

"Aren't you worried in the slightest, Zedd?" Kahlan nearly shouted, standing up and approaching him.

Zedd shrugged. "No, not really."

Kahlan rolled her sapphire eyes. "Zedd, she's _in love_ with Darken Rahl! Love tends to make people—"

"—forget who they are," Richard finished, idly polishing the Sword of Truth, "but I don't think Ember will."

"_Thank_ you, Richard!" Zedd exclaimed, grinning. "I know Ember; she knows exactly who she is."

"But she's _emotionally_ driven, Zedd!" Kahlan argued. "Her loyalties might turn because of her love for him."

"And what if they do?" Richard chimed in once more. "There's not much we can do to stop her."

"Lay off her, both of you!" Zedd yelled. Calming down, he clarified, "I like to think she has better sense than _that_, but she _is_ young…well…older than you, Richard…and her family history isn't the purest. Still, let her choose her own path. We've all been in love; we all know how it can cloud your thoughts." He smiled knowingly. "She'll work something out in the end."

THE END.


	5. Guilty

_**Guilty**_

A few days later, I had _finally_ healed completely from my wounds. I felt more alive than I had in _years_. Well, to be frank, I think I was happiest with the fact that I could actually leave Darken Rahl's bedchamber; I was starting to go a little stir-crazy. I wanted nothing more than to simply get away from it all for the day; so, naturally, I decided to saddle up old Hemlock and go for a ride. I don't know which of us was happier; Hemlock hadn't been taken out since the day Denna went psycho on my ass.

For the most part, my ride was more or less carefree (most likely due to the fact that I had chosen to leave D'Hara for part of it.) Thankfully, Hemlock was picking up adventurous vibrations as well; without me even directing him to; he took on some of the most difficult obstacles I had ever seen him attempt: partially fallen trees, log bridges, moss-covered stepping-stones…all with the utmost agility. I must admit, I was acting rather immaturely whenever given the opportunity. I never knew Wizard's Fire had so many interesting uses! For example, terrorizing random people by setting their picnic baskets on fire…who knew something so _cruel_ could be so _fun_?

* * *

Part-way through the day, I figured that it would be wise to get a "status of the Seeker" update from Zedd. Therefore, I stopped Hemlock at the very next pond I spotted. Sitting down by its edge, I glided my fingers across its placid surface. Not too long after, Zedd's smiling face was looking back at me.

"Ember!" Zedd greeted, his eyes gleaming with delight. "Good to see you're up-and-about. Feeling better?"

I giggled. "'Better' is an understatement! If I had to spend one more day in bed, I'd've gone _insane_. How're you three doing?"

He shrugged. "Not too badly, I suppose. If Richard wasn't stopping to help every last distressed person he saw, we would be closer to fulfilling the prophecy by now. Moreover, how's _your_ mission coming along? Have you found out what Darken Rahl is planning on doing?" He then smirked and added, "Other than you, of course."

"Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander!" I exclaimed, feeling myself start to blush.

He laughed. "It's true; you _know_ he is."

_I wish he _would_ already_.

"That's _beside_ the point," I said at last.

"That _is_ the point!" Zedd argued, still laughing. Finally regaining composure, he persisted, "Did you discover his plans, Ember?"

Of course I had; he had told me the night before, in fact. Neither of us could fall asleep, so he decided that meant he should confide practically his entire life story with me. He told me about his childhood, his adolescence…hell, he even told me about when he killed his father. The fact that he trusted me enough to divulge the latter to me both flattered and shocked me at the same time. Being the understanding and loving woman that I am, I told him that rage makes people do unthinkable things, and that it made no difference to me; after all, the past is past. He seemed somewhat comforted by my response, and then went on to tell me the plans that Zedd was so desperate to know.

I nodded firmly. "Yes Zedd, I did. However, it's all information I think you already know."

He arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Indeed. You already know he intends to annex the Midlands and Westland and most likely enslave the inhabitants. In addition, it's only logical that he would want to defeat Richard…Richard being the Seeker and all that."

He closed his eyes, making a noise of contemplation. Upon opening his eyes, he conceded, "You're right; I already knew that. Is there anything else?"

I shook my head.

"Then I bid you good-day, Ember," he stated. Winking, he added, "Oh, and good luck."

And with that, he ended the spell.

* * *

My conscience was driving me crazy on my ride back to D'Hara; I hadn't told Zedd everything. I held back one piece of information, just _one_, but it was possibly the most important one of all. I knew what Darken Rahl was _most_ determined to find: the three Boxes of Orden. They each contained very powerful magic; they would give him ultimate power. I knew it was wrong that I didn't tell Zedd, but I would have felt like I had betrayed Darken's trust if I did. Yet, on the same note, I was betraying Zedd, Kahlan, and Richard (not to mention practically the entire world) by protecting Darken Rahl.

All of a sudden, I didn't care. I didn't care what anyone thought of it anymore; I was in love with Darken Rahl, and if that caused my loyalties to turn, dammit, let them turn. If you call that guilty, then that's what I am.

THE END.


	6. House of Fire

_**House of Fire**_

Darken Rahl ran his finger along the edge of his curved knife absent-mindedly. Reaching its handle, he sighed heavily and slid it back into the golden scabbard attached to his belt. Tilting the scabbard slightly, he inspected the intricate symbols engraved on it, which warned the spirits to give way. Sighing once more, he wandered over to a nearby table, upon which Ember's box rested. He stared at it for a long while, admiring its rich mahogany color and delicate gold detailing. Abruptly, he pivoted and made his way to his window. Looking out at the bright, beautiful day, he couldn't help but sigh yet again.

He didn't know what to do. For the second time in a little over a week, he wasn't looking after Ember. The day prior was even harder; his bedchamber just seemed so empty without her. On the lighter side, he still got to see her at dinner, and they had made her new sleeping arrangements permanent; but now that she was healed, she made herself as scarce as possible. Upon surveying all he possibly could from his current vantage point, he couldn't see hide nor hair of her.

He needed to find her, needed to talk to her, now more than ever. A couple nights before, they had (for all intents and purposes) poured out their souls to each other. He told her _everything_, including the fact that he killed his father and of his plans to procure the Boxes of Orden…things he never thought he would tell anyone, let alone a former comrade of Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, without the slightest feeling that he couldn't trust them. She had done her fair share of telling as well: she told of how her parent shad taught her some of their more unique spells and other trades, how Zorander had taught her almost everything else she knew, and of what she had discovered to be her biggest weaknesses. Recalling the list, Darken Rahl smiled slightly:

_Chess, red roses, dark chocolate, wine (mainly red), poetry, the smell of fire, good conversation, her emotions, the smell of rain, music, leather pants, dancing (only occasionally), and…one other thing she refused to reveal._

He turned away from the window and began to toy with the gold embroidery on the sleeve of his robe absently. Whatever Ember's final weakness was, she claimed it was her greatest. She didn't seem too comfortable with the idea of telling him, so decided it best to not pry. At any rate, he had to tell her _his_ greatest weakness: her. However, he needed to _find_ her first.

He closed his eyes for a few moments, deep in thought.

…_red roses._

"Roses," he whispered, slowly opening his eyes. "Red roses."

He hit his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"Of _course_! The rose garden! How could I be so _stupid_?"

* * *

Other than Ember's cave, the rose garden was probably one of the most peaceful locations on the grounds of the People's Palace. Darken Rahl made his way through the labyrinth of cobblestone paths purposefully, passing row upon row of pink, orange, white, yellow, purple, and even black roses. When he finally reached the red roses, he stopped dead in his tracks; he suddenly found himself breathless.

Ember was even more beautiful than usual. Her hair was down, each strand of deep crimson reflecting the sunlight playfully. She wore an ankle-length black skirt and a strapless red leather bodice, with intricate ebony designs and gold chord lacing up the front. She had on black-and-gray lace fingerless gloves, which reached all the way to her elbows. On the upper-portion of her left arm was a delicate gold armband, with three teardrop-shaped rubies hanging from it by thin chains. Her long neck was decorated by a simple choker of onyx-colored lace. She also wore an elegant headband of two intertwining golden wires, the center of which was graced by a brilliantly-cut ruby that rested on the center of her forehead, another small teardrop-shaped ruby hanging from it. She was crouched on the ground, and was gingerly drawing a large rose toward her. Inhaling the sweet fragrance deeply, she closed her eyes and smiled.

"Hello, Darken," she said, slowly opening her eyes, but not turning around.

"Hello, Ember," he responded, ignoring the mild flutter he felt in his chest. "I thought I'd find you here."

Still crouched, she turned slightly to face him. "Something's on your mind."

He smirked and stifled a chuckle. "Indeed; you know me alarmingly well." Crouching down alongside her, he stated, "I want to talk to you about weaknesses."

"Darken," she nearly whined, rolling her eyes, "I told you I'd rather not discuss it."

She clearly didn't want to let him know her greatest weakness; at any rate, not at that particular moment.

He shook his head. "Not _your _weaknesses, my dear…if you don't wish to let me know your greatest weakness, I understand."

His topaz-blue eyes looked deep into hers.

"Nevertheless," he continued, "I wish to tell you _my_ greatest weakness."

Ember was quite obviously taken aback. Cocking her head slightly, she inquired, "Oh? Well…what is it, Darken?"

He reached out and placed a hand on the side of her face. His gaze still locked with hers, he responded:

"You are, Ember Sardonyx."

She immediately started to blush, then smiled and cast her eyes downward. Darken, glancing at her neck, saw that her pulse had increased. She inhaled slowly, then began, "Well, I suppose that now I should tell you my greatest weakness…it seems only fitting."

"Only if you're certain," he replied.

"I am," was her answer.

He had never heard her sound that sure of _anything_ before.

"What is it?" he queried, trying to mask his anxiousness. If it was what he hoped it was, he had reason to be excited.

Ember's warm hazel eyes meeting his, she said certainly:

"You are, Darken Rahl."

_YES!_

He grinned, quite obviously thrilled beyond reason. His heart began to pound against his ribcage. He was actually rather flattered that he was her biggest weakness; he also couldn't have been happier about it. Gently (yet firmly) grasping her shoulders, he exhaled slowly and contemplatively.

What the hell, Darken; you know you want to tell her.

As she grasped his shoulders in return, he finally decided to say it.

"Ember, I love you."

* * *

My heart stopped the instant he said it. _No way_ had I heard _that_ correctly! _Surely_ my ears were tricking me. However, when I saw the reassuring gleam in his eyes, I knew I wasn't crazy.

_He loves me._

I sighed.

_Well, now's the opportune moment to get it off my chest._

"Darken, I love you, too."

* * *

_She loves_ me? _She_ loves _me_?

Darken Rahl couldn't believe he was actually surprised. He had been somewhat aware of Ember's feeling for him for quite some time, but to hear her _say_ it…it just felt amazing. While in this state of pleasant shock, he lost his balance and fell backward, taking Ember down with him.

Upon realizing that she was laying on top of him, Ember burst into a small fit of nervous laughter. She hastily sat up (it was really more like a upright kneeling), straddling him with one knee on either side of his pelvis. After a moment, Darken pushed himself up into a sitting position as well, chuckling slightly. Silencing himself, he gazed meaningfully into her eyes, unblinking. She subconsciously bit her lower lip as she placed both her hands on the center of his chest. With minor apprehension, she gradually moved them upward and caressed the sides of his neck, just below his jaw. He placed his hands on her thighs, and slowly slid them up to rest on her hips. Suddenly, her lips began to tremble terribly.

"Are you nervous?" Darken asked gently, not breaking eye contact with her.

"A little, yes," Ember replied, the corner of her mouth twitching into a smirk.

"Don't be," he whispered, giving a slight smile.

She nodded quickly. She moved her hands to the back of his neck, at the base of his skull. He wrapped his arms around her waist, cautiously pulling her closer, until there was no space between them. Tilting her head to the side, Ember moved her face closer to his. As their lips finally met, their hearts began to race. Sensing that Ember had abandoned all her inhibitions, Darken didn't hesitate to deepen the kiss. After a short while, all the untamed passion they had been harboring for so long made itself known.

That is, until the Captain of the Guard wandered into the garden.

"Lord Rahl?" he said hesitantly. "You wanted to see me? I searched the entire palace for you."

Dammit! _I forgot I was supposed to meet with him_.

Reluctantly, Ember and Darken broke apart from each other and got to their feet.

"Ember—" he began apologetically.

She cut him off. "—I understand, Darken." With a sincere smile, she added, "Go on; I'm sure it's important."

He kissed he tenderly before turning to leave. Looking back over his shoulder, he winked and mouthed, "See you tonight."

THE END.


	7. Dangerous Tonight

_**Dangerous Tonight**_

Something good was about to happen. I could feel it in the wind. As per usual, I had played a few games of chess with Darken after dinner; however, I was incredibly surprised when this routine was disturbed by Cara. After the third game (he had beaten me yet again, best two out of three), there was a knock at the study door. Cara entered, and claimed she had to speak with me on a very urgent matter. Ergo, Darken told me that he was going to bed and that I could find him there when Cara and I were finished talking. With that, he left. After several minutes of idle conversation, Cara informed me that he had requested for her to come to the study at that time and preoccupy me for roughly twenty minutes; he didn't say why. She then told me that she had noticed that he wasn't quite himself around me; she said, "The Darken Rahl all of D'Hara knows would have had his way with you within your first few days here with absolutely no thought whatsoever. But for him to have waited this long…coming to the verge of killing Mistress Denna and Triana for what they did to you…all the tender signs of affection he shows for you…all the time he spends with you…Ember, he genuinely _loves_ you. Most people would never _dream_ him capable of the love he shows for you…I guess most people are wrong, _especially_ considering that scene in the rose garden today," she finished with a smirk. After the passage of the rest of the twenty minutes, we bade goodnight to each other and left the study. Feeling increasingly nervous with each step, I headed for Darken Rahl's bedchamber.

* * *

Upon reaching his bedchamber, I leaned against the door and inhaled deeply. There had been a brief thunderstorm while we were playing chess, and the entire palace smelled of a summer rainfall. I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly.

_Relax, Ember; with any luck, this will be the best night of your life._

Shaking my head in an attempt to clear my mind, I pushed the door open and walked in.

I saw no sign of Darken at first, save a fire burning in the fireplace and his unmade bed. The former filled the room with the scent of smoking wood, mingling with the aroma of rain to create a dream-like atmosphere. I strode over to the small table that my chest rested atop. Lifting its lid carefully, I removed my armband, gloves, necklace, and headdress, shrunk them down, and set them inside. After closing the lid, I glanced down at the surface of the table. Lying in front of my box was a single, beautiful, blood-red rose.

I gave out a barely audible gasp and smiled to myself. Gingerly, I picked up the rose and lifted it to my nose. I closed my eyes as I took in the soothing fragrance, then set the rose back down gently.

"Okay, Darken," I tried not to giggle, "I give up. Where are you?"

"Right here, Ember."

I pivoted in the direction of his voice. He was standing against the wall, a mischievous smirk on his face. He wore his usual sleeveless top, slit completely down the center; the firelight gave a seductive lustre to his bare arms, face, neck, and partially exposed chest. He also wore a pair of deep crimson pants…_leather_ pants. Naturally, my stare locked on the pants.

_Damn…he can really carry those off well._

"Close your eyes," he said, possibly noticing that I had recently become transfixed on his crotch.

_Screw that…good Creator, he's_ packed! *****mental slap*****

Chuckling, he motioned up toward his face. "My eyes are _up here_. Now, close your eyes."

Not quite getting the point, I did as he asked. I heard him walk over to me, and unwrap something that was in paper.

"Open your mouth," he requested. Upon seeing me arch my eyebrow suspiciously, he coaxed; "Just _do it_, trust me."

I did so, and he placed a tiny square upon my tongue. I closed my mouth, and the familiar flavor engulfed my tastebuds.

Dark chocolate. Rich, decadent, sinful dark chocolate.

I smiled and opened my eyes. Darken was back by the wall, his back to me, messing with something on a nearby table. When he turned to face me once more, he held two goblets of red wine.

_He has _really_ outdone himself, I must say. I suppose telling him my weaknesses was actually a damn good move_.

Approaching me, he handed me one of the goblets of garnet-colored liquid. A somewhat devious shimmer in his eyes, he toasted, "To you, my dear."

Resisting the urge to blush, I raised my glass and said, "And to you as well, darling."

With a delicate clink, we made our toast and sipped the wine. It was the perfect balance of dry and sweet…something I had never thought possible for anyone to achieve in a wine. At least, no one in _this_ millennium. I felt a little warmer, a little more carefree, with every sip; and honestly, it couldn't have felt more right. As I drank the rest of the wine in my goblet, a small drop escaped the corner of my mouth. Darken watched intently as it trickled down my cheek and chin, stopping partway down my neck. He stared at it hungrily.

His gaze met mine, pale sapphires mingling with emeralds-in-the-rough. He reached out and tucked a long strand of hair behind my ear, moving his hand to the back of my neck after he did so. He leaned toward me, and his lips closed in on the ruby droplet on my neck. My pulse increased, and he stood upright once more, scrutinizing my reaction.

Smiling deviously, I took a step closer to him. I wasn't afraid…not anymore. Reaching up, I ran a hand through his long dark hair; it felt so soft and thick as it passed through my fingers. He snaked an arm around me, resting his hand on the small of my back. His other hand moved up my neck to caress the side of my face. Wrapping both my arms around his neck, we began to kiss. Shortly, I felt him deepen the kiss, his toxic tongue gliding across mine continuously. Without realizing I was doing it at first, I nibbled playfully on his bottom lip…I could tell he enjoyed it.

Momentarily tearing his mouth from mine, he inquired, "Feeling frisky, Ember?"

I chuckled, sliding my hands to his collarbone as we resumed kissing. I tucked them between his top and his skin, gradually moving the fabric to the sides and back, and up over his shoulders. Finally, his shirt made its way down his arms and to the floor; I traced my fingertips down his bare chest slowly.

Darken moved his hands to the top of my bodice. Cautiously, he began to untie its strings. My heart started to pound as he unlaced it, his fingers nimbly traveling downward at an increasing pace. As it fell to the floor, his lips left mine and made their way down my neck and to my chest. He slid his hands to my waist and, with minor difficulty, managed to take off both my skirt and half-slip at the same time. His mouth reaching mine once more, he pulled me closer to him.

Stepping out of my crumpled skirt, I pressed my body anxiously against his. Clumsily, I fought to undo his pants. After succeeding in doing so, I proceeded to finish taking them off. I kissed him tenderly on my way down, stopping at his waistline and working my way back up.

We were both tired of screwing around; he pushed me down unto the bed, and I pulled him down on top of me. He kissed me passionately, deeper and more animalistically than before. I ran my hands up his toned arms and clutched at his hair once more. Traveling down my neck, chest, stomach, and thighs, his lips claimed my entire body with ravenous embrace after ravenous embrace. On his way back up, he gently bit at the skin on my neck, causing my breath to hitch sharply.

"Oh, Darken," I whispered as he let his face hover over mine.

I looked longingly into his oceanic eyes. Not breaking eye contact with me, he ran a hand up the inside of my thigh. Obediently, my legs parted, allowing him the access he needed. He made the connection, and pain surged throughout me.

"_Darken_!" I moaned, my back arching, my breathing heavy.

"_Ember_," he moaned in return, beginning to devour my neck once more.

He continued to thrust himself into me, both of us finding it harder and harder to restrain our moans of ecstasy. I scratched at the smooth skin on his back, causing his back to arch and for him to get faster. After a while, I could feel myself beginning to climax.

"_DARKEN_!"

"_EMBER_!"

With one final cry of each other's name, we were both overcome by a powerful orgasm. Once the sensation subsided, we crashed tiredly into each other's arms, our sweat slowly dampening the sheets.

Sighing, I nestled my head on his chest and wrapped an arm around his waist. His arms encircled me lovingly, and I closed my eyes.

"I love you," Darken whispered, kissing my forehead.

Kissing his collarbone, I answered, "I love you, too."

For a brief instant, I felt a wave of regret crash over me. Everything about this relationship was wrong, when it got right down to it; I was supposed to be _spying_ on Darken Rahl, not _fucking_ him. And yet, it all seemed so…right. His touch, his voice, his scent, his smile, his breathtaking eyes…the hell with what's right and wrong. I belonged wherever he was; my heart was wherever he was. Sighing, I gradually drifted off to sleep in his embrace.

THE END.


End file.
